The NRL Season of 2016

Betoota Advocate strikes again!

Jarryd Hayne Reveals New Lifelong Dream Of Joining The Hells Angels
"Look, it's always been a dream. And if you don't try your hand at these things, you'll always be left wondering 'What if?'" he said.

Jarryd Hayne has this mornining fronted a press conference at his the head offices of his most recent professional sporting club, the Gold Coast Titans.

Alongside Titans CEO Graham Annesley, Hayne announced that he has yet another lifelong dream to recognise. Becoming a fully-patched member of the Hells Angels.

This announcement comes as footage of the rugby league superstar has been leaked by Fairfax media, which shows him partying with an alleged Hells Angels gang member.

The video – which has been stripped from the social media platform ‘Snapchat’ – has been referred to the NRL Integrity Unit, the NRL has confirmed.

Following the Titans’ loss to the Broncos on Friday night, it is believed ‘Haynesy’ drove back to the ‘Goldie’ to party with Chris Bloomfield, a former Gold Coast under-20s player and alleged Hells Angels member.

In the video, Bloomfield can be seen holding up a wad of cash to the camera and saying: “Sweet. Haynesy just gave me five grand”.

The camera then shows Hayne, who is sitting behind Bloomfield and who at first appears to be looking at his phone. Hayne responds by saying: “Cash money fam, cash money fam.”

Speaking to the media today, Hayne says he’s disappointed his fans had to find out about his new direction through a leaked video, but wants them to know that he will be making a big effort to fulfil his commitments both to the Titans and to the Outlaw Motorcycle Club.

“Look, it’s always been a dream. And if you don’t try your hand at these things, you’ll always be left wondering ‘What if?'” he said.

“I am certain I will be able to do both. I mean, look at Sonny Bill… He was able to play for the Roosters, All Blacks and fight in professional boxing matches all in the same year,”

“My biggest challenge is whether or not my commitment to the Hillsong Church is going to be compromised. But that’s not a concern for the every day punter. The fact is, I’m playing great footy and Fox Sports worships me.”

Titans CEO Graham Annesley says the club welcomes Jarryd Hayne’s role as an unofficial community liason officer in the greater Gold Coast community.

“The bottom line is, we are a Gold Coast club. We need to appeal to everyday people,”

“On the Gold Coast, Bikies are every day people,”

@canefan said in The NRL Season of 2016:

@taniwharugby photoshop a Warriors logo on the sign and its perfect. It started the year Cleary left they were founded.

FTFY

@MN5 said in The NRL Season of 2016:

I was in Sydney in 2003 and the hype around the Warriors being a real chance to win was infectious. Jones, Toopi, Lauatiti.....they had some genuine class and shit they were an exciting team to watch but chances like that don't come about often, maybe once every ten years or so ? the NRL is hellishly tough to win, hats off to the team that manages it each year. Not sure why there's constant disappointment when in my eyes the Warriors perform about as well as I expect year in year out.

We had the core of the 2002/3 teams years earlier - it wasn't until Anderson showed up that things started to turn around by making the finals in 2001, then minor premiers and grand final in 2002. If you had have said in 2001 that the Warriors had minor premiership potential if you just added PJ Marsh, Brent Webb and John Carlaw you would have been laughed out of the room, but they did. Very high ceiling and very low bottom with the Warriors core.

Still looking at the squads from those years not sure many of the Cleary/Price year sides weren't better overall - 2007 specifically - just lacked a trump card in the halves and Cleary just plain sucked at getting the Warriors up in the finals when they weren't underdogs.

I don't think Sneak is too crazy to say a Top 4 is out of reach. The table is always super congested, they have a reasonably talented squad, if the coaching is above average they could get there, don't underestimate the ability of other teams to fall off even if everything looks rosy.

Very bullish on all the hires and retaining McFadden seems like a 'mature' move.

Great game on display here. Top notch league can be ok at times.

This is fucking frantic footy

About 10 mins ago I thought Cowboys were done but they're looking good now. Very enjoyable.

Holy hell the players are just out on their feet.

Gillett trips JT. JT has kick to come.

20-20. Uno minute to go.

Unbelievable.

Crikey McNikey.

OT here we go.

Corey Parker drops the pill. Cowboys looking for the dropgoal.

Morgan scores off some JT magic and Taumalolo rumbling. Cowboys win.

Five minutes to go as Cowboys lead 26-20. I forgot they changed the extra time rule for the playoffs.

Darius Boyd does a Ben Hunt. Cowboys going to win.

Cowboys V Cronulla next week.

Game of the year

Wow another cracking game tonight. Just loving the NRL this year. So many amazing finishes

So back to all things NZ Kidwell confirmed as new Kiwis coach.

Hopefully this will see the end of Hiku in the halves.

Rumour is Kidwell doesn't want Simon Mannering as captain. I think he'll lean towards Adam Blair.

Barring injury or withdrawal, the final 24 will probably be:

Hookers: Luke, Brown
Frontrow: J Bromwich, K Bromwich, Matulino, Taupau, Blair, Moa
Secondrow: Mannering, Harris, Proctor, Taumalolo, Eastwood, Ma'u
Halves: Johnson, Leuluai
Centres: SKD, Takairangi
Wings: Nightingale, Rapana, DWZ, Vunivalu
Fullbacks: Fusitu’a, Kahu

Wayne Bennett ditched his wife for a newer model.

Can't embed this image - click on the link:

@Sneakdefreak Jesse Bromwich as captain I reckon

The Green Machine eliminate the Panthers and advance to the semis.

Semi-finals are:
Melbourne V Canberra
North Queensland V Cronulla

Um, what the fuck? Reports Matulino to leave to make room for Foran? Fucking really?

@mariner4life said in The NRL Season of 2016:

Um, what the fuck? Reports Matulino to leave to make room for Foran? Fucking really?

He should be shown the door anyway according to Hugh McGahan:

I would have backed Panthers to beat the Raiders. Hopefully, it's a Canberra vs Cowboys final.

Also in what is great news, Farah has fucked off somewhere else.

@antipodean Go the Green Machine! I might even watch the GF if they make it. Otherwise I hope the Storm wins.

@Gunner That's just silly when it comes to Matulino, he was mucked around from day 1 by Crappy who started him of the bench for barely any minutes in the first game and then played him into the ground for the next few in a row. Even in a shit year for him personally he was still statistically one of the best forwards for the Warriors.

If Matulino goes somewhere else he'll most likely get used properly and carve up, so maybe that would work out best for him. Or maybe Kearney will just use him correctly.

Rather keep Matulino than sign Foran. He does a lot of the engine-room work (and the stats back him up). But these rumours make me think the Warriors are exploring the option.

Yeah don't want Matulino going anywhere without a chance to do well under Kearny. He was used in all sorts of roles this year and we definitely didn't see his best

CONFIRMED: Foran signs with Warriors for 2017 season.

I'm happy as larry that Foran has signed - I might stay on the rollercoaster a bit longer next year.

In less happy Warriors news - on NRL 360 tonight they said that Toovey went for the Warriors coaching job. So they had a choice of Cleary, Toovey and Kearney ... and they went for Kearney. WTF.

@Nepia Kearney and Cleary know the club and the players know them. Tbh most players in today's NRL don't remember the Geoff Toovey I remember (my favourite player from the 90s) and think he's the guy who got run out of his own club. Came down to Kearney and Cleary and they chose Kearney. Live with it.

The Foran deal is cool plus I think Lolohea will stay HOWEVER there are still obstacles in the way of the Foran signing becoming official and it has a lot to do with Parramatta and the Sydney Cartel. I wrote before that I doubt Foran plays many games for the Warriors in 2017 (I knew he would sign with us) and I think that will still be the case. Will be stunned if he plays more than five games for us.

And in absolutely shocking and unexpected news, reports of Greg Bird getting into a Pub incident....

@Nepia said in The NRL Season of 2016:

In less happy Warriors news - on NRL 360 tonight they said that Toovey went for the Warriors coaching job. So they had a choice of Cleary, Toovey and Kearney ... and they went for Kearney. WTF.

That's ridiculous! There needs to be some sort of investigation!

I wonder if we got Foran as a bargain or paid market price?

In this instance getting Kearny makes me more optimistic that Foran might turn himself around. They have a longstanding relationship and I can't recall if Foran was a Toovey supporter or not.

Heard this morning that Kearny is credited with improving the Bronco's defense and the Warriors need that (and a better attitude) more than anything. SJ and Foran are a good combo and with Leuluai leaving we are gagging for a good defender in the halves. Not to mention someone who knows how to drive forwards around the park.

Just hope Foran can shake the black dog and maybe a new scene will snap him out of some of the iffy stuff he's been involved in. Haven't heard if his family is coming to NZ also. Not even sure if they are reconciled?

Cleary would have been my second pick after Kearny - I loved Toovey as a player but pretty meh on him as a coach.

@ACT-Crusader said in The NRL Season of 2016:

And in absolutely shocking and unexpected news, reports of Greg Bird getting into a Pub incident....

Look, Greg Bird is, among a sea of complete grubs, the king of the grubs. The pinnacle. On field niggler and cheap shot merchant, with a big mouth. Off field grub with a very poor past (to say the least) and probably the most unsavoury incident of all. It's fair to say I'm not a fan.

BUT

In this case, it smells of a beat up. He's under investigation for 2 incidents on a bucks weekend for another Titans player. The first apparently doesn't even involve him, he was breaking it up, and there was no real trouble.

The 2nd he was pissed, asked to leave, obviously arced up, but was escorted from the place by Ryan James, not carried out by bouncers throwing hands.

It's the fucking offseason, these blokes work hard all year, surely they can get a bit pissy in the offseason without the fucking Integrity Unit (what a fucking joke) getting involved every time some piston wristed gibbon at the pub rings a paper and says "I saw Greg Bird pissed in the pub being a fuckwit"? Jesus if i was an NRL player i would leave the fucking country the day we got knocked out of the comp (although even that won't save you thanks to video cameras on phones; social media; and the willingness of people to ignore the "what goes on tour" rules).

oh, and fuck Geoff Toovey. The hiring of either he or that other dour fuckwit from Manly Des Hasler would end my Warriors following days for good.